


Insults at Christmas

by SketchLockwood



Category: 15th Century CE RPF, Historical RPF, The Cousins' War Series - Philippa Gregory, The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman, The Wars of the Roses Fiction, The White Princess (TV), The White Queen (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 14:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13953342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchLockwood/pseuds/SketchLockwood





	Insults at Christmas

Christmas 1465  
Windsor Castle

There was music aplenty, men and women danced in clothes of the finest, most intricate, fabrics. Richard looked around the vast hall, eyes wide. He had of course attended court each Christmas since his brother’s bloody accession to the throne.

“Richard!” The arm was wrapped around him before he could see the person. Not that he needed to . He had grown up with George all of his life, he did not need to see him to recognise the gentle tones of his voice. However much they deepened over the last year. “She is here.” He whispered, as though it were a secret. Of course Richard knew of whom he spoke. How could he be mistaken?

She had dominated affairs since September, and dominated Ned’s life since May. She was now the centre of all, and whatever way George hated it. George and Warwick, and every other man, woman and child in England.

He could not see how even she could not hate it, and yet she seemed not to.

“The witch.” George muttered. “She is everywhere, everywhere you look and turn and I am supposed to give her a gift I’m supposed to play happy families.”

“It won’t kill you.” The voice made them both jump. Edward loomed over then like a pillar. “Will it George?”

“No Ned.” George pretended to sound repentant. “I got her a gift.”

“That was very nice of you.” Edward did not hide his surprise. “Behave yourself both of you.” Edward began to walk away, stopping only as Richard shouted.

“I got her a gift too!”

“What did you get her?” George muttered, nudging him. “Oi, twerp, what did you get her?”

“I’m not a twerp.” George laughed as Richard offered a back hand slap to the arm. “I got her a puppy.”

“Shit.” George muttered.

“What did you get her?”

“I didn’t.” George sighed.

“But you told Edward that you got her-“

“I lied! I’m not likely to get a common whore a gift. Not when she treated us thus when she first met us.”

Richard had never understood George’s hatred from the day he met her. Of course, George had seen the inflammatory nature of her initial ignorance. Then, Richard had said nothing of complaint. As a child, he had been used to being ignored. She was queen after all, yet George had taken insult. An insult solidified later that day when she had spoken to them.

***

September 1465  
Reading

“These are my brothers, Richard and George.”

She looked over them with a critical eye, smiling at Edward as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Her eyes however were critical as she looked over them. Stepping away, she used two gentle fingers to flick mud from George’s doublet. “Charmed. You’re 14?”

“Yes Your grace.”

“My sons are seven and nine.” She offered a glance toward Richard, frowning as she saw dust cover his clothes. “And they would know to dress finer than this when greeting the queen, their mother.”

***

Richard had understood the insult in that. He would have been blind not to. That was why he had ultimately watched in silence as George had taken his own jewelled goblet, filled it with wine and had, quite secretively, spat into the wine. He walked then with pride to the front of the hall, head held high as their mother had ever taught them. “Your grace.” Richard chuckled as George fell to his knees before them, holding up the cup. “I have no money of my own, and so please accept this as my gift to you this Christmas.”

“I thank you my lord.” She smiled, though Richard watched George recoil as she put the Goblet in the hand of a servant, waving for it to be taken away. In truth, whilst the plan had been amusing, Richard had not truly expected she might fall for such immaturity.

George bristled as he returned to Richard’s side. “The bitch.” He frowned as Richard began to laugh. “I don’t see what is so funny.”

“I got her a bitch.”

“What?”

“The puppy, you’ll see.” He waves to a servant, taking the puppy in his arms several moments later, approaching the dais with slow steps. He saw Elizabeth’s eyes fix on the brown ball of fluff in his arms. “Your grace.”

“What is this?” Her voice was soft.

“This is a puppy, one which suits your personality and being your grace.”

George bit his lip, stopped himself from howling with laughter, grinning to his eyes as she took the puppy in her arms.  
“I can see why you think it. She’s beautiful.”

Richard smirked as he back away. Returning to George. There was only Edward who frowned in their direction, only Edward who realised the perfect insult Richard had just made. Realised, and yet he could do nothing in reproach.


End file.
